| Fifty people, including five members
of our partner church, the United Church of Christ in the Philippines
(UCCP) and a UCCP pastor have been ambushed or killed on the islands
of Leyte and Samar in the central Philippines since January.
Rev Edison Lapuz was shot by two unidentified assassins on 12th
May. A father of two children, Rev Lapuz was the Conference Minister
of the UCCP Northeastern Leyte Conference and a member of the National
Council of the UCCP.
Rev Lapuz was deeply committed to the rights of the poor and many
believe that he, along with many others, are victims of a military-backed
campaign. Church organizations claim that these killings show “a
pattern of harassment and intimidation of progressive church and
social leaders whose prophetic voices have been committed to justice
for the poor and the marginalised.”
An ecumenical delegation arranged through the World Council of
Churches and the Christian Conference of Asia will conduct an enquiry
in the region on 15 to 21 July. Meanwhile a 15 person fact finding
mission has already gone into the area.
Bishop Elmer Bolocon, General Secretary of the UCCP, has issued
a statement “Prophets may be killed but prophetic voices can
never be silenced” (please see attached).
Rev John Barr
Executive Secretary
Uniting International Mission
22nd June 2005 |
